Automatic silk-titer regulating device



June 19, 1945 A. TASSO wwomrrm sn-K- rmm 'aneuumme mavxcs Filed June 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4a 2.9- mi June 19, 1945. sso 2,378,595

AUTOMATIC SILK-TITRE REGULATING DEVICE Filed June 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 finfiznio Tasso.

Patented June 19, 1945 AUTOMATIC SILK-TITER REGULA'I'IN G DEVICE Antonio Tasso, Genoa, Italy; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application June 10, 1941, Serial No. 397,475 In Italy July 8, 1940 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the silk reeling and aims to provide a method and a device for regulating the thickness or titer of the thread dur ing the reeling.

A primary object of the invention is to provide control means whereby to reel any desired titer of silk by keeping the thread at the desired thickness with very small diiferences of titer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control means governed by very slight differences of pressure of air, as promoted by the slightest dilferences of titer of the thread, and serving to start feed means for piecing a fresh cocoon filament when the thread becomes too thin.

Other objects and advantages are the provision of an improved automatic feed means for the cocoons, including also an improved reelers trough.

Still other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a section of an improved device according to the invention, showing in side elevation one of the improved units of the device;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of fluid pressure control means adapted to be mounted within a casing or housing and employed in regulating the thickness of the thread being reeled;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of the casing which encloses the control means and shows the gauging head;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the said gauging head, and

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the regulating means and its operating principles.

The improved cocoon reeling device according to the invention comprises a trough I having a substantial width and in which the cocoons 2 to be reeled oil are soaked with warm water. In order to avoid the sticky matters dispersed into the water of trough I from influencing the cocoons, and further in order to permit of keeping the water at the proper temperature according to the invention, the trough is divided by a partition 3 into a shallow upper part in which the cocoons are placed, as will be seen hereinafter, and in a lower part comprising a pit in which on the reeling side of the device, a heater unit 5 is arranged, which is practially constituted by a steam pipe or a. sleeved electric heater. The partitlon 3 constituting the bottom of the upper part of the trough is provided with a substantially vertical wall 5 projecting into the pit 4 and terminating above the bottom thereof. The partition 3 is solid but is open or perforated at the ends.

ley l9 and to the winding reel (not shown).

Due to this arrangement, the water heated by 5 is circulated as clearly shown by the arrows. In this manner the most part of the suspended matters are deposited at the bottom of pit 4 and do not soil the cocoons.

According to the invention, the cocoons are suspended by the worker on a rotatable inclined conical feed arm I which extends over the whole length of the trough l and is automatically operated by the regulator of the thread thickness each time the thread does not reach the required titer and until a fresh cocoon filament is pieced. In the example as shown the feed arm 1 is driven by shaft i2. which is driven in its turn by a worm gear in mesh with a Worm 8' integral with the driving shaft 8 of piecer l3. Shaft I2 is journalled at its free end 9 in a supporting bearing provided at the end of a bracket l0. Piecer shaft 8, together with adjacent parts, is axially bored, as usual and is driven at intervals by motor II.

The several cocoon filaments M to be united to one thread l5 pass through perforations in the piecer l3 and adjoining parts and the thread just formed slides over a slit in a hollow gauging head It from which it is drawn at an angle to grooved pulleys I I and I 8 and from this latter it is led again opposite the slot of head (6 where it crosses in known manner a preceding section of the same thread and then is led to grooved pul- Between head I6 and pulley Hi, the thread slides against a feeler arm 20 adapted to stop the unit, including the winding reel, each time a thread breaks. This device, however, which may be of a known type, need not be described.

The automatic control and regulation of the titer of the thread is effected pneumatically by utilising the very slight differences of free section of slit 2| (Fig. 4) of head I5, whenever the threads sliding at their crossing point possess a titer that lies under the lower permitted limit.

With particular reference to Figs. 2, .3 and 5, the head I8 is mounted on and in communication with a casing or housing "5' as for example by use of a header member 40 which is suitably mounted within the casing and which is provided with separated bores I1 and 3|, the open end of each of the latter being closed by a plug or other closure means. Bore ll provided with transverse parts 22', 23' and 24' (see Fig. 2) is connected respectively to conduits 22 and 23 and to one leg 24 of a U-tube 25 mounted within the casing (see Fig. 5). Conduit 23 is connected to a pressure box 34 at the lower end of the casing 16' and the conduit 22 connects the bore I1 to the head I5. A conventional source (notshown) supplies fluid, such as air, under substantially constant pressure to the box 34. A second pressure box 33, arranged in substantially parallel relation to the box 34, is also connected with a fluid pressure source, such as air, which source may be separate from that supplying the box34. .-.r i

Pressure box 33 is connected by a conduit 32 to a port 32' in the bore 3| in the header member 40. Bore 3| is also connected, through a port 29, to the leg 28 of the U-tuhe 25 which latter is filled to a predetermined height with a liduid, water being suitable for this purpose. Valve mechanism having a plunger 21 adapted to be lifted by a float 26 within the leg 28 of the U tube will close communication of the bore 31 with the U-tube in accordance with the height of the liquid column in the leg 28 of the tube.

An outlet conduit 35 communicates with port 23 so that when the latter is opened by the valve mechanism; air supplied the bore 31", may escape herefrom and into con uit 35. Condui '35 is connected to cohve'litionel's'witsfi M 94 5 Comprising the diaphragm motor 38 and switch member 31 actuated by the diaphragm motor and adapted to close and open 'Chfcuit 3B in' wh the motor H is located. "Ifh'e "pressure delivered to the diaphragm 35 will hold the switch means closed durin the maintenance thereof. In the absence of pressure. the switch automatically opens. The structure and operation of the switch means are well known in the art and s the details thereof form no part of the present invention, no further description is given.

As heretofore mentioned, the i] tube 25, header member All and various condui s are contained within the casing I6: Conventional sup ort structure, such as that shown in 3 may be employed for this purpose. The casing lii"may be seated on the pressure box structure which in turn may be seated on the motor H, the latter being supported by any; suitable means (not shown).

In the operation of the described unit, it is to be understood that the filaments from a number of cocoons, as indicated in Fig. '1, are bein formed into a thread, and that 'the filaments of additional cocoons, are led over, the feed arm I, the cocoons. being floatably and movably supported in the water in the trough. The thread being formed passes over the slit 2| in head I8, and if of desired thickness controls the escape of the air delivered from air box 34, conduits 22 and 23, bore l1, hollow head l6, and past the thread in slit 2!. If this escape is normal, as predetermined, the pressure of such air on the water in leg 24 of U-tube 25, passing from bore I'l' through passage 24 to the'U-tube is sufflcient to maintain normal equal levels in legs 24 and 28, and maintain the float 2i, in'position to hold the outlet 23 closed.

If the thread obstruction oi slit 2| is reduced. that is, the thread is not of the desired thickness, the escape of air increases, reducing the pressure on the water in leg 24, the level 01' which rises while the level of the water in leg, 28 falls. This lowers float 23, permitting the valve plunger to fall and open the port 29. Air under the dc.- sired pressure is then delivered from air box 33, through conduit 32, bore 3| and through conduit 35, to close circuit 38 and energize motor II. The feed arm 1 is operated to feed the supported cocoons to the piecer l3 for addition of their filaments to the thread being formed, until the thickness of that thread in passing slit 2! restores normal pressure control, balances the water levels in legs 26 and 28, and in so doing raises float 26 and closes outlet 29 to stop the motor.

It has been found in practice that the above device permits the thickness of the silk threads to be held within desired narrow limits in a manner which is substantially impossible for a skilled worker to duplicate.

In order to keep slit 2| clean, 1. e, free from the sticky substances adhering to the wet cocoon thread, this latter is given an oscillating movement transversely of the slit so as to constantly sweep ofi any solid particles sticking near it. This'movement is obtained by making pulley I8 and/or pulley ll oscillatable to and fro in axial direction. By this means the section of the slit remains substantially unobstructed,

The device permits of automatically regulating the thickness or titer of the threads at will by acting either on the sensitivity of the relay, or by varying the width'of slit 2| e. g. by means of a pair of parallel plates 33 which may be drawn together or spread apart, or also by varying the pressure of the air passing through slit 2|. However, in the embodiment a shown, the regulation of the titer is effected preferably by varying the height of the liquid column within U- tube 25, the thickness of the thread being inversely proportional to this height.

Inpractice a number of units like that shown in Figure l are arranged side by side, so'that the air duct 34 for the low pressure air, as well as the duct 33, (in case a source of higher pressure air is provided, controlled by the low-pressure operated relay), may be cast in a single block 35 and be connected each to a single air source, thus acting as distributing mains for a number of conduits 23-22 on the low pressure side and 32 on the high pressure side.

Of course, the construction features of the device according to the invention may vary within very wide limits. Thus the arrangement of the thread-guiding pulleys and of the head It may vary in some particular cases. Head l6 may be arranged in some other position and the relay may be of any other type, provided it be sufficiently sensitive to very slight changes of low pressure air. Instead of a positive pressure inside of the head 16 and conduit 22, a negative pressure, i. e. a slight vacuum, may be employed. The motor Il may be also a turbine, the float 26 may act on electric contacts, instead of pushing a movable member 21. Also other variations may be employed without departing from the basic principle of the invention.

I claim:

1. A silk reeling machine of the type having means for winding thread composed of a predetermined number of cocoon filaments and comprising feed means on which the ends of filaments from fresh cocoons are attached for feeding to the tlu'ead being reeled to replenish the filaments of said thread, a mechanical piecer near the feed means for engaging a filament fed by said feed means and piecing said filament to the thread being reeled, operating means for simultaneously drivin said piecer and said feed means, fluid pressure responsive means for causing the operation of starting and stopping mechanism adapted to start and stop said operating means for the piecer and the feed means, a source of fluid under pressure operatively connected to said fluid pressure responsive means, and means interposed in the flow of said pressure said piecer and said feed means, the combination of a head provided with a slit, said head means for the plecer and the feed means, and means for conducting said fluid into said head and through said slit and to said pressure actnated means, the titer of the thread movping means associated therewith.

4. Feed ANTONIO TASSO. 

